Description

Healthy Congregations Workshop

The Healthy Congregations workshop uses the insights of family systems theory to help church leaders and all members become more effective stewards of their congregation’s health. The workshop was developed by Dr. Peter Steinke and is based on the work of Dr.  Edwin Friedman, author of Generation to Generation: Family Process in Church and Synagogue.

Since the publication of Generation to Generation, many pastors have come to recognize the importance of understanding family systems theory as it relates to congregations. The Healthy Congregations workshop helps both leaders and all church members expand their insight into how churches function as emotional systems.

Friedman noted that in many congregations today negative, reactive forces are allowed to set the agenda for the church. What can be done to prevent anxiety from becoming a toxic force in your congregation? The Healthy Congregations workshop is designed to equip leaders to respond to the presence or potential threat of anxiety in a congregational system in ways that prevent destructive conflict and help the church stay focused on its unique mission and purpose.

This workshop will help you . . .

• Learn how you as a leader can influence the health of your congregation – how to detect and avoid unhealthy patterns of living together in community.
• Learn how to keep anxiety from becoming infectious.
• Gain confidence in responding to challenges and opportunities.
• Learn how to put limits on invasive behavior, manage reactivity, and overcome sabotage.
• Discover how leaders can function as the congregation's immune system.
• Learn to focus on strengths, resources, options, and the future.